Stabilized nitrated starch.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFETOE.

FLETCHER B. HOLMES, OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE E. I. DUPONT DE NEMOURS POWDER JERSEY.

COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF NEW STABILIZEDNITRATED' STARCH.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

Application filed May 20. 1907- Serial No. 374.527-

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, FLETCHER B. HOLMES, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Woodbury, county of Gloucester, and State of NewJersey, have invented a new and useful" Improvement in StabilizedKit-rated Starch, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description.

The object of my. invent-ion is to produce stable 'nit'rated starch.Nitrated starch may be used as an explosive itself, or preferably may beused as a component part of an explosive, such as where it is mixed withsodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, or some other oxygen carrier, with orwithout the addition of other ingredients. The difiiculty with nitratedstarch is that it is very unstable, being liable to decomposition. Whensuch nitrated starch decomposes, which'i' is liable to do at ordinarytemperatures, it becomes liable to spontaneous combustion.

I have discovered that I can produce a stable nitrated starchby miningwith nitrate starch any salt of citric acid containing ammonium.Preferably I use an ammonium salt .of citric acid and of such salts Iprefer tri-ammanium citrate,

QOONHFCHTCKOIT)COONH,;CH2COONH4.

The ammonium salts of citric acid include also the diand mono-ammoniumsalts e0on-on -c omcooNrn-on -coonn, and

ably from two to five'per cent, although smaller or larger amounts maybe used with success. I have found three per cent. to give good results.The-mixing ma be made in any manner to produce a goo mixture. They maybe mixed wet or dry and in any kind of a mixer. Preferably, 1 mix thetwo in a finely divided powdered condition in a bowl provided withstirrers or paddles. I have found three percent. of the reagent to givegood results.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

'1. A stableexplosive, consistin of a mixture of nitrated starch and asalt oi citric acid containing ammonium, the latter being in suchproportion as to stabilize; the nitrated starch.

2. A stable explosive consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch andfrom two to five per, cent. of a salt of citric acid, containingammonium.

3. A stable explosive, consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch and anammonium salt of citric acid, the latter being in such proportion as tostabilize the nitrated starch.

4. A stable explosive consisting of a mix- I ture of nitrated starch andfrom two to five per cent. of an ammonium salt of citricacid.

5. A stable explosive, consisting of a mixture, of nitratcd starch andtri-ammonium citrate, the latter being in such proportion as tostabilize the nitrated starch. Y

6. A stable explosive consisting of a. mixture of nitrated starch and.from two to five per cent. of tri-ammonium citrate.

In testimony ofwhich invention, I have hereunto set my hand, atPhiladelplna, on this 15th day of Me 1907.

FLE CHER B. HOLMES.

Witnesses:

M. M. HAMILTON, F. E. WALL.

